Amusement apparatus



July 15,` 1941.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed June io, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet l J. F. COURTNEY 2,249,076

July 15, 1941- J. F. col-JRTNEY l 2,249076 AMUSEMENT APPARATUSA 5 sheets-sheet 2 Filed June l0. 1939 July 15, 1941. J. F. coUR'rNEY- AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed June l10, `1939 S'Sheets-Sheetn July 15, 1941. J. F. coURTNEY l AMUSEMENT APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June l0, 1939 n AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

Filed June 10. 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented July 15, 1941 John F. Courtney, Florence, S.,v C., assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, to Velare & Courtney, Inc., a corporation f Illinois Application June 10, 1939, seria1N0.27s,536

6 claims. (o1. 2v2-3s) My invention relates to amusement apparatus of the Ferris wheel type.

An important object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the above mentioned character, which will impart a plurality of separate movements to the passenger cars or seats, thus increasing the thrill.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the above mentioned character which will elevate the passenger to a high point,V

during the ride and return the passenger to the lowered loading position, while rotating the passenger about another point.

A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the above mentioned character which will produce a horizontal rotation, a vertical rotation, and a second vertical rotation with respect to the first named vertical rotation.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the individual wheels may be turned independently, and stopped independently, for the purpose of loading or unloadinga A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the above mentioned character,

formed in units which may be readily separable so that the same may be quickly and easilyrdisassembled and assembled.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description. i

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure l is a'perspective view of apparatus embodying my invention, showing the rotary support. beam horizontal, Y

Figure 2 is a sideelevation of the same,

Figure 2a is a perspective View of one of the drive pulleys and associated elements,

Figure 3 is an edge elevation of the apparatus, i

showing the support beam vertical,

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 2, Figure 5 is a side elevation of the apparatu showing the support beam vertical,

Figure 6 is a detailed section taken online ti-#6 I of Figure 3, Y

Figure 7 is a detailed section taken on line 7-1 of Figure 3,

Figure 8 is an enlarged side elevation of the support beam and associated elements, 'parts broken away,

Figure 9 is a transverse section taken on line 9`9 of Figure 8, and Y traveling upon a lcircular track I2.

therewith is a rotary supporter beam 22. beam 22 comprises a pair of beam-sections 23,V

Figure 10vis a transverse section taken on line ID-Iil of Figure 9. Y

The apparatus comprises a horizontally rotating turn-table I0, mounted upon wheels II, The upper surface of the turn-table is near thelevel of the groundv so that the riders may conveniently step upon the turn-table. Onewheel II, Figure 6, is provided with an internal annular gear I3, driven by a gear I4, rigidly secured to'a shaft I5, driven by a motor I 6. This motor is mounted upon the turn-table I0, as shown. Any suitable form of circuit and switch may be employed for the motor. Any suitable form of brake device may vbe employed to stop the turn-table. I may employ an electric brake, or the turn-table maybe stopped by reversing the motor.

Rigidly mounted upon the turn-table I0 is a tower Il, comprising a pair vof. spaced vertical beams I8, attachedV at'their lower ends to the turn-table and securely braced by diagonal rods i The tower rotates horizontally I9 or the like. as a unit with the `turn-table. Secured to the upper ends of the vertical beams I8 are bearings 2i), receiving a horizontal rotatable shaft 2|.

Rigidly mounted upon the shaft Z'I to rotate The spaced as shown. The shaft 2| 'is equidistantly "spaced from the ends of the beam-sections, v

Rotatably mounted in the opposite ends of the beam-sections 23 are horizontal transverse shafts 24, upon which large wheels 25 are rigidly mounted. Each large wheel is provided Ywith a plurality'.` "..of passenger carrying elements 26," in the form of These passenger carrying ele'-A seats or cars. Y ments' are pivoted to the wheel adjacent to its periphery so that the passenger supporting elements remain vertical while they bodily rotate with the wheel. The wheels extend radially beyond the supporting beam 22 whereby the passenger is elevated to a very high point, during the operation of the apparatus. The arrangement-.is such that all oi the passenger supporting elements on each large wheel may be entirely clear of the arm at one time. Further, the portion of each wheel extending beyond the carrying arms travels at a much higher speed with r'espect to the axis of rotation of the carrying arms than the portion of each wheel within the carrying arms. Y*

The rotary beam 22 has an annular internal gear 2l rigidly attached to the same adjacent, to

the shaft 2|. The gear V2'! surrounds the'shait 2l and is concentric with respectto the shaft.

The annular gear is driven by a gear 28, in turn driven by a motor 29, rigidly mounted upon the beam I8, near the upper end thereof. The control switch for the motor is arranged upon the ground suitably near the platform.

Rigidly secured to the opposite end of the shaft 2I with respect to the annular gear 21 is a brake drum 29', engaged by a brake band 30', Figures 9 and 10. One end of this brake band 30' is secured to the beam I8, and its opposite end is secured to a bell-crank lever 3I', pivoted upon the beam I8. This bell-crank lever is connected with a cable 32', extending downwardly to engage with a pulley 33', and connected with a hand lever 34'. It is thus seen that when the motor 29 is stopped, the brakes may be applied to stop the rotation of the support beam, so that either wheel 25 may be stopped at a position, suitable for loading or unloading passengers.

The wheels 25 are separately rotated and separately braked. Each wheel 25 is rotated by a cable 30, engaging within forks 3 I, secured to the side of the wheel. The forks 3l are disposed near and inwardly of the periphery of the wheel. The cables 30 pass about pulleys 32 and also about slack take-up pulleys 33. Each pulley 32 is mounted upon a transverse shaft 34, suitably mounted upon the rotary beam 22, while the pulley 33 is mounted upon a shaft 35, suitably mounted within a guide 35, rigidly mounted upon the beam-section 23. The shaft 35 is moved in one direction by a spring 36', to .automatically take up the slack in the cable 38, and to yield, to pay out the slack, when desired. The shaft 34 is driven by a, motor 36, through suitable speed reduction gearing 31a. The motors 36 have separate circuits and the switches for these motors are arranged at the ground suitably near the turn-table. The motors are, of course, mounted upon the rot-ary beam 22. By having separate motors, the wheels 25 are separately rotated and their speed of rotation may be varied with relation to each other, while one wheel may be rotating while the other wheel is stopped.

The shaft 24 of each wheel 25 is equipped with a brake device 31. This brake device embodies a drum 31' which is rigidly mounted upon the shaft 24, see Figures 4 and '7. This brake drum is engaged by a brake band 38', mounted within the stationary housing 39', rigidly attached to rthe beam-section 23. The brake band is connected with a pivoted lever 49' which operates the same, and this pivoted lever is connected with a rod 38. There are two of these rods and they extend inwardly and longitudinally of the beamsections 23. When the rod is shifted 'inwardly and longitudinally of the rotary beam 22 the brake is applied to stop the shaft 24. The rod 38 is mounted upon the beam-section 23 to reciprocate with relation thereto and is held within guides 4I', mounted upon the beam-section 23. At its inner end, the rod 38 is provided with a laterally extending shoulder 39, adapted for coaction with a lever 40, pivoted to 'the beam I8., as shown at 4I. The lever 40 is pivotally connected -at its outer end, at 42, with a rod 43. 'I'his rod operates through suitable guides 44. The rod is moved upwardly by a spring 45, and is moved downwardly by a lever 46, which may be a treadle. The lever 49 serves to apply the brakes to the shafts 24 of both wheels, separately, but :before the brakes can be app-lied, the rotary beam 22 must be in the vertical position, so that the shoulder 39 of the brake device of the wheel 25 inthe lowered position, will be positioned above and in alignment with the 1ever 4I).

The numeral 4'I designates loading steps arranged upon the turn-table Ii).

The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

The turn-table I0 is 'rotated horizontally and may be rotated continuously at a slow speed, although the same may be stopped to take on or let off passengers, if desired. The tower rotates horizontally with the turn-table and the wheels 25 accordingly rotate bodily horizontally with the tower. The beam 22 rotates vertically about the .axis of the shaft 2 I, as this shaft is driven by the motor 29. While the beam is rotating vertically, it carries the wheels 25 with it which travel in a vertical circular path. While traveling in the vertical circular path these wheels 25 are separately rotated in a vertical plane about the shafts 24, by the motors 36. The wheels 25 are separately rotated and may .be rotated at different speeds. The rotation of the wheels is independent of the rotation of the rotary beam. To load or unload passengers, the rotary beam 22 is stopped in the vertical position. The motor driving the lowered wheel 25 may have the current cut off therefrom and the lowered wheel will then continue to rotate by inertia until stopped by its brake. At this time, the shoulder 39 will be above and in alignment with the lever 40. The lever 46 is now depressed and the rod 43 drawn downwardly. The inner end of the lever 40 moves upwardly and engages the shoulder 39. The shoulder is drawn' inwardly which draws the rod 3 8 inwardly, actuating the brake 3T to stop the shaft 24. The brake cannot be applied until the beam 22 is in a substantially vertical position.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and th'at various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In an amusement apparatus, a tower, a vertically rotating supporting element mounted upon the upper portion of the tower, wheels mounted upon the ends of the supporting element and projecting radially :beyond the same, said wheels being rotatable in the plane of rotation of the supporting element, passenger carrying elements mounted upon each wheel, separate means to rotate each wheel, a separate brake device for each wheel mounted upon the supporting element, each brake device having an operating part, and operating means mounted upon the tower and common to all operating 'parts and adapted to move each operating par-t separately when such operating part is moved into a proper position with relation to the operating means.

2. In an amusement apparatus, a tower, a vertically rotating supporting element mounted upon the tower, wheels mounted upon the supporting element and rotatable in the plane of rotation of the supporting element, passenger :supporting elements mounted upon each wheel, separate lbrake devices for the wheels and having operating parts mounted upon the supporting element, a movable element mounted upon the tower and adapted to actuate each operating ..part when such operating part is moved into close relation to the movable element, and means to move the movable element.

3. In an amusement apparatus, a tower, a vertically rotating supporting element mounted upon the tower and having arms, wheels mounted upon the arms near the outer ends and rotating in the plane of rotation of the supporting element, passenger carrying elements mounted upon the wheels, separate brake devices for the wheels, elements to operate the brake devices and extending inwardly of the arms and mounted thereon, said elements having engaging parts, a lever pivoted upon the tower and arranged upon one side of each engaging part when the engaging part is shifted to a position near the lever, and means to move Ythe lever so that it will contact with the engaging part and move the same.

4. In an amusement apparatus, a tower, a supporting beam pivotally mounted between its ends upon the tower, wheels pivotally mounted upon the ends of the supporting beam, passenger carrying elements mounted upon each wheel, separate means to turn each Wheel, separate brake devices for the wheels including members extending radially inwardly of the supporting beam, said members having lateral extensions, the lateral extensions being spaced from each other, a lever pivoted to the tower and having one end arranged upon one side of each lateral extension when the lateral extension is shifted to a position in proximity to the lever, and means to move the lever to cause its end to contact with the lateral extension and move the lateral extension.

5. In an amusement apparatus, a tower, a supporting beam mounted upon the tower to rotate vertically, means mounted upon the tower to rotate the supporting beam, wheels mounted upon the ends of the supporting beam to rotate vertically, passenger supporting elements mounted upon each wheel, a separate device mounted upon the supporting beam to rotate each wheel, a separate brake device for each wheel, and means common to all brake devices to operate the brake device of each Wheel separately to stop the wheel only when the beam is substantially vertical.

6. In an amusement apparatus, a tower, a beam rotatably mounted upon the upper portion of the tower and having only two radially extending arms which are oppositely arranged and of approximately the sam-e length, means to rotate the beam, large wheels rotatably mounted upon the outer end portions of the arms and having diameters considerably greater than the length of each arm, each wheel extending radially beyond the outer end of its arm for a-distance equal to at least the major portion of the length of such arm, the portion of each Wheel extending beyond the carrying arms traveling at a much higher speed with respect to the axis of rotation of the carrying arms than the portion of each wheel Within the carrying arms, passenger supporting elements pivotally mounted upon each large wheel adjacent to its periphery, each large Wheel having its inner portion inwardly of the rotatable mounting of the wheel upon the arm extending laterally beyond the opposite sides of the arm, the arrangement being such that all of the passenger supporting elements on each largey whe-el may be Ventirely clear of the arm at one time, means to rotate each large wheel with respect to its arm, a separate brake device for each Wheel mounted upon the arm, each brake device having an operating part, and operating means mounted upon the tower and common to all operating parts and adapted to move each operating part separately when such operating part is moved into a proper position with relation to the operating means.

JOHN F. COURTNEY. 

